local – The Vegan Love Project

I Totally Winged It Amazing Macaroni & Cheese with Broccoli

Since opening the second studio- time has become even more precious and my commitment to eating beautiful foods has become even more a priority (NO MORE PALM OIL). I had a craving for Mac & Cheese and none of the ingredients that I had used to make the last recipe- I had no beans that were cooked in the house other than dal, no peppers, so I improvised with what I had- homemade hummus, and a beautiful local Butterkin Squash that I roasted. Instead of adding garlic and beans I added the hummus, I added my Fermented Hot Sauce instead of fresh red peppers. It came out spicy and perfectly paired with the sweetness of local broccoli. It was SO SO good- I made it after class and it literally took no more than the 15 minutes to boil the pasta before I was sitting down eating it. Hope you enjoy it!

I Totally Winged It Amazing Macaroni & Cheese with Broccoli

1c prepared hummus or chickpeas or white beans

3T fermented Hot Sauce or sriracha (spicy)

2T mellow white miso paste

2T cooked squash- Butternut, kobocha or other orange-fleshed squash

1/4c raw cashews

1/4c nutritional yeast

2T tapioca starch

2t agave or maple syrup

2t ume vinegar

1t brown rice vinegar

2t chipotle powder

2T extra virgin olive oil

1c to 1-1/2c water (depending upon desired thickness)

1/2t pink salt

1T coconut oil or vegan NO PALM oil Butter *optional

—

2c-cooked broccoli, minced (see below- frozen broccoli would work well)

—

1 Pound of Gluten Free Pasta

6c water to boil

2t pink salt

Clean and trim the broccoli and keep in larger florets with stalks.

In a large pot, bring the water to a boil, add the salt, toss in the broccoli and cook just until tender and bright green- about 3-4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, sweep the broccoli out into a strainer and set aside to cool.

Add the pasta into the boiling water and cook until tender- 10-12 minutes or according to package.

While the pasta is cooking, when the broccoli is cool, using a sharp knife, mince the broccoli. Lightly salt and pepper and set aside.

Place all of ingredients except the tapioca starch and broccoli, into a blender and process until smooth and creamy. Taste it and adjust for saltiness and seasoning. Add in the tapioca starch and blend well.

Drain the pasta and set aside. In the same pot add the cheese sauce and stir over medium heat until it starts to thicken- about 2-3 minutes. Add in the pasta and continue to cook over medium heat for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the entire mixture is heated through. Add in the coconut oil or butter. Add in the broccoli and stir until well incorporated.

Serve immediately. YUM.

Sundried Tomato & Scallion Tofu Spread (Surfer’s Spread)

I was at a local co-op here they have a spread called “Surfer Spread”. It. is. YUMMY. I was determined to replicate it, I have a ton of RAW unsulfered sun-dried tomatoes, and picked up some local fresh scallions at the Farm Stand down the road and VOILA….It took me two times to get it. I have to say, mine tastes a little bit more badass. Just sayin. Don’t over process the tofu or else you will have more of a paste than you might like but experiment with the consistency you prefer!

Sundried Tomato & Scallion Tofu Spread

¼ sundried tomatoes- rehydrated

1 pound tofu, blanched and drained well

3T Extra Virgin Olive oil

1 small bunch of scallions, trimmed and coarsely chopped

1/4c nutritional yeast

2 cloves garlic

2T shoyu or tamari

1t ume vinegar

salt & pepper to taste

In a food processer, mince the scallions and then remove to a medium size bowl.

In the same work bowl, add the sun dried tomatoes and the oil and process until desired size, I like mine finely minced. Remove 2/3rd of the mix to the scallion bowl. Add the tofu in the work bowl with the garlic, shoyu, ume, and nutritional yeast and process until smooth. Remove to the scallion tomato mix and mix until well incorporated. Season with the salt and pepper, to taste.Place in the refrigerator to chill. (SO much better cold- it firms up as well)Serve with crusty bread (FRICKEN YUM), as a sandwich filler, or as a vegetable dip.

SO YUM!

Chana Masala with Local Spinach

Chana Masala

3T coconut oil

2c-cooked chickpeas

1 onion, small dice

2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced

1T ground cumin

2” fresh ginger, grated

1 hot pepper, sliced or chopped

2t mustard seeds

1t turmeric

2t curry powder

2-3 tomatoes, diced

2t pink salt

1t black pepper

2c water

—

4c fresh baby spinach- reserve until serving.

1c fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped- reserve until serving.

In a large pot over medium high heat, add the coconut oil, onions, garlic and spiced and sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the chopped tomatoes and the chickpeas. Cover with about 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and the let the mixture cook partially covered until the water has reduced and it looks more like a stew. Just before serving, add the spinach and the cilantro. Serve with Basmati or Jasmine rice or Quinoa.

Roasted Spring Asparagus

This winter took SO LONG to break…for me the 1st signs of light are tulips and asparagus- so when I walked into the River Valley Co-Op and saw beautiful bunches upon bunches of purple tipped asparagus, I knew spring had finally sprung. I am of the school that the simplicity of the main ingredient is what makes beautiful food- this is literally asparagus with a touch of garlic, olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper. You can put them on the grill to give an earthy char taste but they are equally exquisite done in a countertop broiler.

1 bunch asparagus- cleaned and trimmed

2T Extra Olive oil

1t pink salt

1/4t black pepper

1 clove garlic, smashed and minced

1/4 one lemon- juice

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

On a small pan or oven proof dish, lay out the asparagus, as thinly as possible. Drizzle the oil over and add the other ingredients except for the lemon. With your fingers, toss the stalks with the ingredients. Roast for 10-12 minutes or until tender.

Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice and season to taste with more salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot, warm or cold.

Simple Smashed Potatoes

Amazing served with pan-fried tempeh and a side of sautéed greens. This will serve 2-4, I always make the whole amount because I love the leftovers. You can use them as a base for a vegetable soup, or pan fry them into little patties- or I am hoping to make fresh Gnocchi with them tomorrow!

Smashed Potatoes

4c thin skinned potatoes, cleaned and scrubbed, skins on and chopped

½ of an onion, sliced

1c water

Salt

Pepper

—

3-4T extra virgin olive oil

3T nutritional yeast

Salt/ pepper to taste

Vegan butter to serve *optional

In a pot over medium high heat, bring the water, potatoes, onions, salt and pepper to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook partially covered, allowing the potatoes to steam/ cook until tender- about 10-12 minutes.

Check occasionally to make sure the water has not cooked out completely. If the potatoes are cooked and there is excess water simply drain some out prior to smashing. If the potatoes are not yet cook fully through, add a bit of water and extend the cooking time by just a few minutes more. With the back of a large spoon, (or with my favorite new smash tool), make a mash within the cook pot. The onions will have broken down completely. Add in the olive oil and nutritional yeast and salt and pepper to taste. Feel free to add more oil, more salt, more pepper, more love!

Pan Fried Tempeh (made with Local Tempeh!)

I was in no mood to cook, I was relieved when I only needed to unscrew the cap off the bottle of wine….. However, I had left over quinoa in the fridge, a garden full of gorgeous kale and yesterday I bought a beautiful, unpasteurized, locally made, brick of tempeh, made by Hosta HIll at the Greenfield Farmer’s Market. Since finding out that Lightlife Foods, my favorite tempeh (and typically the only tempeh offered) has since been bought out by ConAgra (a GMO supported CORP), I haven’t been eating much tempeh- so when I saw it, I snapped it up. Cooked all in the same pan; first the tempeh, then the kale, then the quinoa- it made for a super simple and delicious Sunday night dinner. I ate it with some Sriracha sauce with a side of Buch and a glass of wine…..FRICKEN YUM.

Pan Fried Tempeh

1 package of tempeh, cut in half then sliced

1 clove garlic, smashed and minced

3T olive oil

1t fresh hot pepper *opt

Salt and pepper to taste

In a hot sauté pan, add the oil and the garlic and sauté until just golden. Add the hot pepper and the tempeh and pan fry until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Flip to brown the other side.

You can vary the taste by pre-marinating the tempeh in flavors of your choosing.

Serve as part of a simple meal with a grain (quinoa, rice) and green (kale, chard, cabbage) with a sauce of your choosing. I love Sriracha sauce or my homemade fermented Hot Sauce.